Safety garment



March 26, 1963 R. F BAKER SAFETY GARMENT Filed Dec. 1, 1960 C m m I m A llllll ...|l....

INVENTOR. ROBERT F. BAKER BY g, 5 fwd mildew 5, 512%? 3,083,295 SAFETY GARMENT Robert F. Baker, R0. Box 87, Markleviile, Ind. Filed Dec. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 73,137 3 Claims. (Cl. 240-59) This invention is related generally to safety devices, and more particularly to a garment having safety lamps incorporated in the front and rear sides of the garment.

It is well known that people who work outdoors and whose work requires them to walk or ride in the vicinity of streets and thoroughfares are particularly endangered during periods when they are not clearly visible to motorists. Such periods exist, for example, at dawn and dusk and during inclement weather. It is, therefore, desirable that these people be provided with special means to provide an extra measure of safety by making their presence more apparent during these periods of danger caused by poor visibility conditions.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a garment for persons whose safety is endangered by poor visibility conditions.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a garment having bright portions thereof to increase the visibility of the garment during conditions of poor visibility generally.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a garment which produces an ostensible signal to motorists to warn them of the presence of the wearer.

This invention includes in its scope a garment to be worn by a person whose safety is endangered due to poor visibility conditions. The garment has a patch on its front and rear sides which may be made of a brightly colored material. The patches are fastened to the garment so as to provide a recess to support matched safety lamps having an appropriately colored lens.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

FIG. 1 shows in fragmentary form a garment having a patch and lamp fastened thereto according to a typicai embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the patch of FIG. 1 illustrating a particular manner of stitching the patch to the garment.

FIG. 3 is a side section through the vertical center of the lamp.

FIG. 4 is a section of the lamp taken along the lines 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the rear side of the lamp of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is a garment 11, the front side of which is shown in the figure. The garment has a patch 12 of typical rectangular form fastened to the front piece between the buttons 13 and 14 which is at approximately the chest of the wearer. A lamp 16 is mounted approximately centrally upon the patch by means which Will be apparent as the description proceeds.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the patch 12 of FIG. 1, illustrating one manner of fastening the patch 12 to the garment. In FIG. 2 the stitching 17 extends vertically adjacent the side margins 18 and 19 and across the lower margin 21 of the patch. The stitching extends across the top margin 22 of the patch from the side margins toward an imaginary line bisecting the patch and designated by reference numeral 23. The portion of the stitching extending adjacent the top margin 22 terminates at the points 24 and '25 from which the stitching continues downwardly and generally parallel to the side margins to a point 26 where it extends across the patch to the verti cal center thereof.

The portion of the patch having boundaries divided by 3,683,295 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 the upper margin 22 and the stitching 24 and 25 cooperates with the garment material itself to provide a recess 27 to receive the mounting clip for the lamp 16 of FIG. 1. This description of the stitching referring to terminations and the like is meant to be only descriptive of the places where the stitching is located and not particularly where the thread starts and stops. It should also be noted at this point that means other than thread may be used to fasten the patch to the garment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the lamp 16 has a housing 31 which, in this embodiment, is of a generally cylindrical shape enclosed at one end 32. The housing is made usually of plastic and of an appropriate color such as green for the front and red for the rear. The housing has a circumferential groove 33 in its inside surface 34. A bulb holder, having vertical portions 36 and 37 located in the groove 33, is positioned within the housing and supports a bulb 38 in a socket 39. The holder is usually springy enough that it will be retained in the groove 33 securely.

A pair of insulated electrical conductors 41 and 42 passes through the holes 43 and 44, respectively, in the bottom of the housing 31, and supply electrical energy to the bulb 38. The conductors 41 and 42 may be attached in any suitable fashion to a source of electrical energy (not shown).

A clip 4e is fastened to the housing 31 by means of a generally circular portion 4-7 of the clip which is received in the circumferential groove 33. At the top of the generally circular portion 47 a portion 43 extends outwardly from the plane of the portion 47 and away from the closed end 32 of the housing. The clip then extends generally downwardly and inwardly toward the closed end 32 of the housing to a region designated by a reference numeral 49 from which it then extends slightly outwardly to the point 51. The form of the clip will be more readily appreciated by referring to FIG. 5, which shows the clip installed in the housing as viewed from the open end of the housing.

FIG. 4, showing a section through the housing taken along the lines 44 of FIG. 3, illustrates a typical frontal appearance of the bulb hoder with the bulb installed.

FIG. 5, illustrating the appearance of the spring clip 46, also shows a construction of the housing 31 adjacent the uppermost portion of the groove 33. This construction provides cut-away area 53 through which the rearwardly extending portions 43 pass. 1

To provide an additional safety feature in the event the lamps would for some reason not function, the patches may be made of somewhat larger frontal area than the frontal area of the lamps, and they may also be made of a brightly colored and even luminescent material. The colors employed would be optional, but typically red would be employed in the rear and green in the front of the garment. The clip referred to and described in the discussion of FIGS. 3 and 5 is usually made of spring wire and adapted to be received into the recess 27 provided between the patch and the garment as illustrated and discussed with reference to FIG. 2.

While the invention has been disclosed and described "1 some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. A safety garment comprising: a front piece and a rear piece; a patch fastened to each of said front and rear pieces, each patch being fastened to said garment piece by fastening means adjacent lower and side margins of said patch and fastening means adjacent portions of a top margin of said patch extending from the side margins toward a line vertically bisecting said patch to terminations separated by an unfastened portion of said top margin bisected by said line and fastening means extending from said terminations generally downwardly toward at lower margin of said patch providing a generally vertical recess having front and rear walls defined by said patch and garment piece; a lamp mounted to each said patch and including a cylindrical housing of light transmitting colored material closed at one end and having a circumferential groove in its inner cylindrical surface toward the end opposite said closed end, a lamp bulb holder having a first vertical holder portion with an upper end of curved contour received in said groove, a first horizontal holder portion adjoining the first vertical portion at the lower end thereof and including a bulb socket, a second vertical holder portion joining said first horizontal holder portion at one end and having a curved end abutting the inner cylindrical surface of said housing, a second horizontal holder portion joining said second vertical holder portion and lying adjacent the inner cylindrical surface of said housing to a point adjacent said groove, and a third vertical holder portion adjoining said second horizontal holder portion at its end adjacent said groove and extending into said groove, said portions of said holder being biased to maintain said first and third vertical portions in said groove, a spring clip having a generally circular portion lying in a plane and received into said groove and a portion extending perpendicularly out of said plane away from a place adjacent the uppermost point of the groove in said housing and then inwardly toward said plane and downwardly and then outwardly from said plane a short distance to its termination, said downwardly extending portion of said clip being received into said recess to support and fasten said lamp to the garment; and a source of electrical energy coupled to said lamp for illumination thereof whereby the location of a wearer of said garment is made obvious.

2. A safety garment comprising: a front piece and a rear piece; a patch fastened to each of said front and rear pieces, each said patch being fastened to said garment piece by stitching adjacent lower and side margins of said patch and stitching adjacent portions of a top margin of said patch extending from the side margins toward a line vertically bisecting said patch to terminations separated by an unfastened portion of said top margin bisected by said line and stitching extending from said terminations generally downwardly toward a lower margin of said patch providing a generally vertical recess having front and rear walls defined by said patch and garment piece; a lamp mounted to each said patch and including a cylindrical housing of light transmitting colored material closed at one end and having a circumferential groove in its inner cylindrical surface toward the end opposite said closed end, a lamp bulb holder having a first vertical holder portion with an upper end of curved contour received in said groove, a first horizontal holder portion adjoining the first vertical portion at the lower end thereof and including a bulb socket, a second vertical holder portion joining said first horizontal holder portion at one end and having a curved end abutting the inner cylindrical surface of said housing, a second horizontal holder portion joining said second vertical holder portion and lying adjacent the inner cylindrical surface of said housing to a point adjacent said groove, and a third vertical holder portion adjoining said second horizontal holder portion at its end adjacent said groove and extending into said groove, said portion of said holder being biased to maintain said first and third vertical portions in said groove, a spring clip having a generally circular portion lying in a plane and received into said groove and a portion extending perpendicularly out of said plane away from a place adjacent the uppermost point of the groove in said housing and then inwardly toward said plane and downwardly and then outwardly from said plane a short distance to its termination, said downwardly extending portion of said clip being received into said recess to support and fasten said lamp to the garment; and a source of electrical energy coupled to said lamp for illumination thereof whereby the location of a wearer of said garment is made obvious.

3. A safety garment comprising: a front piece and a rear piece; a patch of brightly colored luminescent material fastened to each of said front and rear pieces, the front patch being green and the rear patch being red, each patch being fastened to said garment piece by fastening means adjacent lower and side margins of said patch and fastening means adjacent portions of a top margin of said patch extending from the side margins toward a line vertically bisecting said patch to terminations separated by an unfastened portion of said top margin bisected by said line and fastening means extending from said terminations generally downwardly toward a lower margin of said patch providing a generally vertical recess having frontal and rear walls defined by said patch and garment piece; a lamp mounted to each said patch and including, a cylindrical housing of light transmitting colored material closed at one end and having a circumferential groove in its inner cylindrical surface toward the end opposite said closed end and the color of the front lamp housing being green and the rear being red, a lamp bulb holder having a vertical holder portion with an upper end of curved contour received in said groove, a first horizontal holder portion adjoining the first vertical portion at the lower end thereof and including a bulb socket, a second vertical holder portion joining said first horizontal holder portion at one end and having a curved end abutting the inner cylindrical surface of said housing, a second horizontal holder portion joining said second vertical holder portion and lying adjacent the inner cylindrical surface of said housing to a point adjacent said groove, and a third vertical holder portion adjoining said second horizontal holder portion at its end adjacent said groove and extending into said groove, said portions of said holder being biased to maintain said first and third vertical portions in said groove, a spring clip having a generally circular portion lying in a plane and received into said groove and a portion extending per!- pendicularly out of said plane away from a place adjacent the uppermost point of the groove in said housing and then inwardly toward said plane and downwardly and then outwardly from said plane a short distance to its termination, said downwardly extending portion of said clip being received into said recess to support and fasten said lamp to the garment; and a source of electrical energy coupled to said lamp for illumination thereof whereby the location of a wearer of said garment is made obvious.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,211,976 Spencer et al Ian. 9, 1917 1,405,630 Rosenfeld Feb. 7, 1922 1,777,379 Powell et al. Oct. 7, 1930 1,833,222 Lischeid Nov. 24, 1931 2,265,670 Platt Dec. 9, 1941 2,473,877 Goldstein June 21, 1949 2,534,945 Booth Dec. 19, 1950 2,816,284 Campanell Dec. 10, 1957 2,962,580 Jones Nov. 29, 1960 

1. A SAFETY GARMENT COMPRISING: A FRONT PIECE AND A REAR PIECE; A PATCH FASTENED TO EACH OF SAID FRONT AND REAR PIECES, EACH PATCH BEING FASTENED TO SAID GARMENT PIECE BY FASTENING MEANS ADJACENT LOWER AND SIDE MARGINS OF SAID PATCH AND FASTENING MEANS ADJACENT PORTIONS OF A TOP MARGIN OF SAID PATCH EXTENDING FROM THE SIDE MARGINS TOWARD A LINE VERTICALLY BISECTING SAID PATCH TO TERMINATIONS SEPARATED BY AN UNFASTENED PORTION OF SAID TOP MARGIN BISECTED BY SAID LINE AND FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID TERMINATIONS GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY TOWARD A LOWER MARGIN OF SAID PATCH PROVIDING A GENERALLY VERTICAL RECESS HAVING FRONT AND REAR WALLS DEFINED BY SAID PATCH AND GARMENT PIECE; A LAMP MOUNTED TO EACH SAID PATCH AND INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING OF LIGHT TRANSMITTING COLORED MATERIAL CLOSED AT ONE END AND HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE IN ITS INNER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE TOWARD THE END OPPOSITE SAID CLOSED END, A LAMP BULB HOLDER HAVING A FIRST VERTICAL HOLDER PORTION WITH AN UPPER END OF CURVED CONTOUR RECEIVED IN SAID GROOVE, A FIRST HORIZONTAL HOLDER PORTION ADJOINING THE FIRST VERTICAL PORTION AT THE LOWER END THEREOF AND INCLUDING A BULB SOCKET, A SECOND VERTICAL HOLDER PORTION JOINING SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL HOLDER PORTION AT ONE END AND HAVING A CURVED END ABUTTING THE INNER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING, A SECOND HORIZONTAL HOLDER PORTION JOINING SAID FIRST HORIZONTAL HOLDER PORTION AT ONE END AND HAVING A CURVED END ABUTTING THE INNER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING, A SECOND HORIZONTAL HOLDER PORTION JOINING SAID SECOND VERTICAL HOLDER PORTION AND LYING ADJACENT THE INNER CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF SAID HOUSING TO A POINT ADJACENT SAID GROOVE, AND A THIRD VERTICAL HOLDER PORTION ADJOINING SAID SECOND HORIZONTAL HOLDER PORTION AT ITS END ADJACENT SAID GROOVE AND EXTENDING INTO SAID GROOVE, SAID PORTIONS OF SAID HOLDER BEING BIASED TO MAINTAIN SAID FIRST AND THIRD VERTICAL PORTIONS IN SAID GROOVE, A SPRING CLIP HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR PORTION LYING IN A PLANE AND RECEIVED INTO SAID GROOVE AND A PORTION EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY OUT OF SAID PLANE AWAY FROM A PLACE ADJACENT THE UPPERMOST POINT OF THE GROOVE IN SAID HOUSING AND THEN INWARDLY TOWARD SAID PLANE AND DOWNWARDLY AND THEN OUTWARDLY FROM SAID PLANE A SHORT DISTANCE TO ITS TERMINATION, SAID DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION OF SAID CLIP BEING RECEIVED INTO SAID RECESS TO SUPPORT AND FASTEN SAID LAMP TO THE GARMENT; AND A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY COUPLED TO SAID LAMP FOR ILLUMINATION THEREOF WHEREBY COUPLED TO SAID LAMP FOR ILLUMINATION THEREOF WHEREBY THE LOCATION OF A WEARER OF SAID GARMENT IS MADE OBVIOUS. 